1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell system.
2. Discussion of the Background
For example, in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is sandwiched between a pair of separators, the membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane formed of a polymer ion exchange membrane, and anode and cathode electrodes which are disposed on respective sides of the electrolyte membrane.
Normally, in the fuel cell, a fuel gas passage for supplying a fuel gas to the anode electrode is formed between one separator and the membrane electrode assembly, while an oxidant gas passage for supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode electrode is formed between the other separator and the membrane electrode assembly. In addition, between adjacent separators which constitute part of each fuel cell, there is formed a cooling medium passage for passing a cooling medium corresponding to the electrodes area.
A fuel cell of this type may be mounted particularly in a fuel cell electric vehicle with the fuel cell being disposed in a fuel cell box. In this case, a fuel cell compartment for storing the fuel cell is formed in the fuel cell box, and a ventilator for ventilating the fuel cell compartment is used. The ventilator has a function of, upon detecting incoming hydrogen from, e.g., a hydrogen line of the fuel cell, discharging the hydrogen to the outside of the fuel cell box with a ventilation fan.
In some cases, an in-vehicle fuel cell is installed in a fuel cell compartment within a limited space such as the under floor or the front box of a vehicle. Thus, similarly to the above-mentioned fuel cell box, the space in which a fuel cell is disposed, i.e., the fuel cell compartment needs to be ventilated.
For example, there is known a fuel cell box ventilator apparatus which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-132916. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the fuel cell box ventilator includes a three-way valve 1, a gas outlet pipe 2, a ventilation fan 3, a discharge port 4, a hydrogen detection sensor 5, and a control device 6.
When hydrogen inside a fuel cell box B is detected by the hydrogen detection sensor 5, the three-way valve 1 discharges air into the fuel cell box B through the gas outlet pipe 2 in accordance with a detected value, the air being supplied to a fuel cell V from a supercharger 7.